It Began with Fate
by Iridaceae
Summary: She knew it'd be difficult for a poor girl like her going to the richest school around. She knew it was a mistake to stand up to the most dangerous bully in school. But she didn't know it was fate to fall for the one she hated most. AU: Sora x Kairi
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: All characters © to Square-Enix, Squaresoft, and Disney. Storyline for prologue and first two chapters are based off of Hana Yori Dango © Yoko Kamio.

**Warning**: _**Strong **_language and OOC, and dark themes. Don't like, _don't read._

**.0.  
**

**Prologue**

"Oh my god, where did you get that _gorgeous _watch?"

"Oh this? You know, it's a limited edition only; I just _had _to go and buy it."

"Wow! I bet it costs as much as my Dior purse!"

Kairi shot a disgusted look at the trio of giggling girls sitting next to her before rolling her eyes at the ceiling.

_High school students being dropped off and picked up by _chauffeurs..._girls carrying around genuine Louis Vuitton or Chanel or Christian Dior purses...diamonds glittering everywhere on peoples' ears, fingers, wrists and neck...this place just gets less and less bearable each day._

Ever since Kairi Akutsu had first stepped foot in Shukumei Academy, she knew life would be _very _different from what her old life used to be, in an ordinary public school.

It was a place where all the celebrities attended, Shukumei Academy; the most prestigious private school on Destiny Islands.

From an outsider's point of view, it was an academy that everyone envied; where everyone longed to be.

But as a 'commoner' from a public school, it was a place Kairi knew that she'd _never_ be able to fit into.

Kairi sighed and tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. Staring idly at her desk, she tapped her pencil as she tried to block out all the conversations that reminded her just how different she was that were buzzing around her; a thing that proved very hard to do.

_It's the fall of my junior year and I only have two more years before I can _finally_ leave and move on with life somewhere else..._

The buzzing finally subsided as her first period teacher traipsed into the classroom, his glasses flashing as the scanned the room for any misbehaving students.

"Good morning, class," he said calmly as he paced up and down the aisles between the desks.

"Good morning, Professor Tanimoto," the class chanted back.

As Professor Tanimoto opened his mouth to begin explaining the day's assignments, a shout rang from outside the classroom that caused everyone's heads to snap up.

"**It's a red tag! IT'S A RED TAG!**"

Slowly, Kairi's cerulean eyes looked up.

_Oh no...not again..._

The shouting outside grew louder.

"**Pence Kimoto from 2-A got a **_**red tag!**_"

At the front of the classroom, Zidane stood up turned towards everyone.

"Let's get him," he said, cracking an evil smile.

At once, every single student in the classroom rushed from their seats and out the door. Kairi, however, stayed where she was, refusing to join the mob. From what she could see, there was a mixture of excitement and even a hint sadism on everyone's face.

Letting out a groan, the redhead buried her face in her arms.

_God, everyone here is so sick-minded and twisted and—_

"Kairi?" said a soft voice from somewhere above her.

Her head shot up to see a blond girl with blue eyes very similar to her own staring at her.

"I don't quite understand what's going on...but shouldn't you be going too?"

_She must be a transfer student, _thought Kairi, as the blond continued looking closely at her. _But_ s_he's probably gonna regret entering Shukumei Academy once she finds out about this disgusting ritual that we have._

Sighing, Kairi reluctantly stood up and followed her classmates' steps, with the blond girl walking shyly behind her.

"What is it with everyone?" she asked Kairi as they walked towards the source of commotion.

"What's the red tag for?"

"It means it's a declaration of war from the F4," responded Kairi in a monotone voice.

"F4?"

"The four upper class students that basically control this school," the redhead explained. "Those who cross their path get a red tag, and are bullied by entire school until they can't stand it anymore and leave."

The blond looked rather startled by this piece of information.

"But-but why does everybody listen to F4?"

"All four of them are heirs to the wealthiest families around," Kairi said simply.

"Isn't everyone at this school?" said the blond, raising an eyebrow.

Kairi let out a humorless laugh.

"No...there's a huge difference."

A group of boys suddenly sprinted past them, carrying a large bag filled with trash and whatnot, and were heading for the cafeteria. Kairi gave the blond girl a look that plainly said 'see-what-I-mean?'.

"Their parents gives enormous amounts of donations to the academy," said Kairi while the blond listened intently. "That's why even the teachers can't say anything about what they do.

"They're promised absolute freedom while they're at this school. That's why you won't see them wearing our school uniforms." She indicated the blue plaid skirt and white blouse she was wearing.

The two girls entered the cafeteria where the rest of the school was; everyone was chanting 'F4' repeatedly and clapping their hands in a rhythmic beat. Kairi noticed that the same three girls she had overheard from earlier were at the very front of the crowd, positively squealing with delight and admiration was on each of their faces. The redhead squeezed herself into crowd as she watched four tall silhouettes approach from the doorway.

"The members of F4 are...Hayner Tsuyoshi," Kairi pointed at the dirty blond muscular teenager, grinning from ear to ear as he smirked and winked his hazel eyes at random girls. "He's an outrageous flirt and player; don't let him trick you into sleeping with him. His father is lord of the 'underground world', if you get what I mean.

"Irvine Kinneas," A smirking, cocky looking teen wearing a cowboy hat came strutting into view, his long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. "His father owns a wide range of artillery companies. Watch out for him too; he's an even bigger playboy than Tsuyoshi.

"Riku Takahashi." A calm faced, well built teenager with feathery silver hair walked in next. "He's the perfect son of a big business company owner. He's cool and quiet, and a pretty mysterious member of the gang."

"Finally...there's Sora Kumasaki." She indicated the tall teenager with brilliant ocean blue eyes and a shock of uncanny spiky brown hair. "The heir of the world famous Kumasaki Zaibatsu family. He's the leader of F4, and dictator of this academy."

The two watched apprehensively as the group of four swaggered towards a set of armchairs that were supposedly reserved for them; the chanting grew louder. After settling themselves comfortably, Zidane shoved Pence Kinimoto in the middle of the circle, right in front of the F4 members. The poor victim looked up at Sora, trembling and covered from head to toe in God-knows-what.

For a moment, Sora only scrutinized the terrified student as if he were a piece of gum stuck on his expensive shoe. Then he smirked, and leaned forward in his seat.

"Do it," the brunet said calmly. Kairi felt a mixture of pity and anger as she watched Pence shake his head, his face close to tears.

The crowd began chanting again.

"Do it! Do it!"

Pence only shook his head more, whimpering.

Sora suddenly stood up and the crowd immediately fell silent. Slowly, he walked towards the panic-stricken student, who tried to shrink away. But the brunet grabbed the collar of the other's shirt and his fist flew at his face, knocking him to the ground.

Kairi heard the blond gasp in horror, but she knew it wasn't over yet. Sora aimed a kick and it came in contact with Pence's stomach; she watched his face screw up in pain. Smirking as though proud of himself, the F4 leader kicked out again and another grunt of pain issued from Pence's mouth. The brunet then coolly ran a hand through his hair, smirking at the damage he had done.

"This is a waste of my time."

He looked back at his three friends, jerking his head towards the door.

Hayner stood up and clapped his hands together casually, looking as though if watching someone getting beat up was an everyday routine.

"Alright, people! Fun's over!"

Sora led the group of four and they exited the cafeteria, all walking with a bit of swagger in their steps. The crowd began clapping once more, but Sora's face remained impassive. As the F4 walked pass the redhead, Kairi shot a death glare at them, clenching her fist in anger.

_Those bastards..._

It was as if time had slowed down. As she watched the F4 leader strut pass, his eyes suddenly met hers in a piercing gaze. Her breath caught in her throat in her surprise, but he looked away coolly, his face indifferent.

Kairi quickly shook her head, snapping herself out of her reverie.

_What..the heck was _that?

--

The redhead sprinted through the deserted hallways, rushing towards the door that was marked with an _emergency exit _sign over it. She shoved it open and leaned against it, panting heavily.

"Those idiots!" she hissed to herself. "What the hell is _wrong_ with F4?"

She stormed down the cement steps, reaching a small balcony that overlooked the school grounds.

"_How_ can they think of those sickening games as some sort of _entertainment_? Ugh!"

She pressed herself against the metal railing, pounding hard on it with her fist.

"Watching their friend getting beat up and acting as if it's the best thing in the world, worshipping that group of _imbeciles _as if they were gods of some sort...they _all _make me SICK."

A rush of adrenaline filled her body as she ranted out all her anger. Taking a deep breath, she screamed out all her pent-up emotions.

"YOU _BASTARDS_! I HOPE YOU ALL DIE FROM **OVER**-NUTRITION!"

Her voice echoed throughout the school grounds and she felt a savage sense of satisfaction rising up in her chest. Breathing deeply, she calmed herself and climbed back up the steps.

_You only have to put up with one more year of this, Kairi, just one more year..._

Unbeknownst to her, a certain Riku Takahashi, who was laying on the second flight of steps, lifted the book he had been reading off of his face, his aquamarine eyes following Kairi as she pushed open the door and began trudging her way back to class.

_Until then, I'm just gonna have to continue being the invisible, plain girl of the school and live life peacefully..._

Or so she thought.

* * *

**Please review; no flames.**


	2. So Long, Halcyon Days

**Disclaimer:** All characters © to Square-Enix, Squaresoft, and Disney.

**Warning:** Very **_strong _**language and OOC-ness. Don't like, _don't read._

**.1.**

**So Long, Halcyon Days  
**

"_Another _red tag?" said Selphie, her emerald green eyes widening. "So what'd the poor guy do to F4?"

Kairi sighed, idly tracing a figure _8 _on the smooth counter top with her finger.

"He talked back to them when they started picking on his friend, Olette."

School had already ended, and the redhead was working her part-time job at the bakery store. Selphie paused, wiping off the already gleaming tables, her expression dismayed.

"He gets tagged just because of _that_?"

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Well, you know those idiots. They'll beat anyone up who annoys them the slightest, just because they can."

"So much drama," said Selphie, sighing. "Going to a normal school makes you miss out on a lot, huh?"

"Are you insane?! The worst years of my _life _started right when I started going!" said the redhead, looking taken aback, but Selphie was laughing.

"I was only joking," said the brunette, smiling mischievously. Then her expression changed again. "But you know, Kairi...I'm surprised with how you can put up with all that."

Kairi blinked. "Huh?"

"How can you stand letting them walk over people like that?" said Selphie, looking as serious as Kairi had never seen her before.

"You used to never let anyone get away with anything," the brunette continued. "Remember in middle school, all those times you went on my side whenever anyone made fun of my yellow dress or my hair?"

Kairi looked away, looking remotely abashed.

"Well..."

"Those guys at Shukumei don't know that, do they?" Selphie said quietly, looking very serious now.

They looked at each other for a moment.

"No," Kairi said finally, lowering her blue eyes again. "No, they don't..."

--

_Same crap...different day..._

Kairi gave an exasperated sigh, throwing herself in an empty chair at an unvacated table. Her empty stomach growled as she pulled out an ordinary lunch sack her grandmother had packed for her, trying to ignore the smell of expensive cuisine that was wafting in the air around her.

Lifting the lid off the top of her box, she peered inside hopefully. A small smile appeared on her lips; it was her Grandmother's special rice balls.

"Hey, aren't the new transfer student here? What's your name?"

Kairi looked up interestedly, and spotted the blond girl she had spoken to the previous day. The girl's back was against the wall, cornered by a couple of guys; her expression seemed uncomfortable.

"N-Naminé Desaki..." she mumbled to her shoe, avoiding the glued stares of the boys.

"Naminé? That's a pretty name."

"You hungry? Why don't you come sit with us?"

"Um, I—"

"Come on, don't be shy."

Kairi arched an eyebrow as she watched one of the teenagers take hold of the blond's wrist, ready to drag her off towards their own table.

"Naminé!" the redhead called out hurriedly. The boys looked around and the blond girl glanced up in surprise. Kairi smiled at her. "Come sit here!" she said, pointing at the empty seat across from her own.

Naminé cast a terrified look at the boy grasping her arm and pulled away, hurrying over to where Kairi was seated. She lowered herself into the empty chair and placed her tray of food onto the table, giving the redhead a nervous smile.

"Thank you for saving me," she said softly, timidly tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear.

"It's nothing," Kairi told her cheerfully.

"I'm sorry...I'm not very used to boys," the blond admitted, lowering her eyes onto the table. "It feels like I can't keep up with everyone else around here..."

Kairi widened her eyes, her heart beginning to beat rather fast.

"You mean...you're not from a wealthy family like everyone else around here?" she asked in a hushed voice, looking hopeful.

Naminé's head shot up, her eyes looking fearful again.

"No no! I mean—" she stopped herself, unsure whether to continue or not.

Kairi looked intently at the other girl, never taking her eyes off of her.

"Oh...I see," she said, feeling a bit disappointed. For a moment, she had felt so sure that _someone_ at the school would understand how she felt...

"I—I'm sorry," mumbled Naminé. She suddenly stood up, grabbing her tray of untouched food and making Kairi start. "Sorry to bother you. I think I'll go—"

_Crash!_

Naminé stumbled backwards, gasping out loud as the fancy porcelain and fragile glasses crashed onto the ground, shattering into a million pieces and sending chunks of food everywhere. All around people gasped, then grew dead quiet. Kairi looked helplessly from the broken silverware to Naminé, who was standing in horror at the sight in front of her. As the redhead looked up, her heart missed a beat as she realized _who _exactly Naminé had crashed into.

Sora Kumasaki scrutinized the orange stain on his expensive looking button up shirt, his expression unfathomable.

"I'm—I'm so sorry—" Naminé began, looking positively terrified. "I'm so sorry, I promise I'll buy you a new shirt, please—"

Sora let out a humorless laugh.

"A new shirt?" he asked mockingly, while Naminé shrank back, petrified. He began unbuttoning the now stained shirt, suppressed anger ringing in every word he spoke. "What kind of joke is _that_?"

He tore the shirt off and flung it violently at the terror-stricken girl, who bit back a whimper. She slumped back into her chair, looking like a helpless puppy about to be beaten by its master. Kairi's throat felt constricted; she bit hard on her bottom lip as she watched the scenario in front of her, her heart beating fast.

_Just let it alone...it'll all turn out okay...nothing's gonna happen—_

"It's cold," Sora remarked casually, but Kairi could see a sneer coming on. "What if I caught pneumonia and died? I'm the heir to the Kumasaki Zaibatsu family. The one that keeps this whole god damn island running the way it is."

Kairi looked away, tasting iron before she realized how hard she had been biting on her lip to keep herself from bursting out loud.

He leaned in closer towards the petrified blond.

"What were you thinking, running into me like that?" he asked, his voice rising uncontrollably. Naminé said nothing, but tears had sprung into her blue eyes and threatening to fall.

"I asked, what you were THINK—"

"STOP—"

Kairi's voice burst out loud and clear before she could stop herself, but halted in mid-sentence. It was now so quiet that she was sure everyone could hear her heart pounding against her ribs.

"—it..." she finished quietly, but the damage was done.

"Please..."

The spiky-haired brunet slowly turned towards her, his expression murderous. She felt dizzy, feeling as though it was all a dream, but at the same time becoming aware that everyone was staring at her. She noticed that the three girls from earlier were looking scandalized.

"Please," said Kairi, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just...forgive her."

She avoided his gaze, but she could feel his eyes were burning into her. No one said anything, but she took a breath, and broke the silence once again.

"It—it wasn't on purpose," she addressed to her shoes, ending her sentence in a whisper.

For a few seconds, though it seemed like ages to Kairi, no one did anything. Then slowly, Sora stood back, never taking his eyes off of the redhead. He walked slowly towards her, his footsteps echoing ominously; Kairi began to tremble, avoiding anybody's look, her heart now pounding so fast she feared it would burst out of her ribcage. What if he started beating her up?

She waited for the blow to fall, but none came. Sora came and walked slowly around her, then quickened his pace as he headed for the exit. The rests of the gang followed in his haste, and students scurried out of the way to let them pass.

Kairi finally allowed herself to look up, but as she did, she caught his piercing blue gaze a second before he turned away. It was a look she was not likely to forget soon.

_Oh gods...what have I done...?_

--

The next day, Kairi stood in front of her locker, her feeling of dread intensifying as she reached to open the metal door with trembling hands.

_All I wanted...was a normal life..._

A small click sounded and the small door swung open. Her heart seemed to be beating ten times faster than normal and her stomach lurched as she stared at the small, bright red tag that hung in her locker.

_...But now, I've been forced into their little game..._

"**It's a red tag! Kairi Akutsu from 2-C got a **_**red tag!**_"

The ringing words sounded strangely distant to her, as if reality had come and gone. But she couldn't have pretended that she wasn't expecting it...she had, after all, talked back to the _F4_...

She slowly traipsed to her classroom, feeling numb from head to toe as she pushed open the door.

"What the—"

The first thing she noticed besides her smirking classmates was the empty space where her desk used to be—her desk was gone.

All around, people began to snigger loudly, looking triumphant for the fact that they were once again terrorizing the F4's newest victim. Kairi bit hard down on her lip, blood pounding in her ears.

The door opened a second time and Naminé walked inside, looking around.

"What happened?" she asked confusedly, but Kairi pushed past her and sprinted away, looking around in vain for her desk.

_Those idiotic, good-for-nothing, low-life bastards!_

She ran down the stairway, and immediately spotted her desk balancing on top of a dumpster.

Bursting outside, she tried moving the heavy piece of furniture, but it was no use. A second later, she let out a shriek as mounds of trash came toppling on her head.

Furiously, she looked up and spotted Seifer Almasy and his gang, Fujin and Raijin laughing openly, while an empty trash can hung precariously from Seifer's hand. He let it go and Kairi run backwards to avoid being hit again.

_It's no use, _she thought as the second bell rang. She couldn't miss third period, or else she'd be suspended from school..._then again, it may be better than enduring this kind of crap._

Pushing open the door, she let out a sigh of relief when she saw that this desk hadn't been stolen—yet. Avoiding the looks from the other students, she collapsed in her seat, but was bombarded by dozens of crumpled up paper balls immediately.

Her temper reached the surface and she shot up, completely forgetting that she was still in class.

"STOP IT!"

"Akutsu!" reprimanded the teacher, a balding man with a bushy mustache. "We're in the middle of class! Now sit down, or I will have to put you in detention."

Kairi looked down, but her blood was still boiling as her classmates didn't even try hiding their laughter.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, lowering herself in her chair.

_For ever coming to this school..._

--

She knew sitting in the cafeteria to eat lunch would mean pure torture, so she settled herself at a distant corner outside the E building instead. Having no appetite to eat, she leaned her head against the cold stone wall, left to ponder miserably how she had ever gotten herself into this kind of situation.

She looked up and she heard soft footsteps nearby, and managed a small smile when she realized who it was.

"Naminé!"

The blond froze in her tracks, taking one frightened glance at the redhead, then walked quickly in the opposite direction. Kairi watched her go, feeling more hurt than she ever had before.

Before she could even let out a gasp, a wave of sudden coldness engulfed her and sent goosebumps running down her spine. Her auburn hair was drenched and stuck to her face, as were the rest of her suddenly sopping wet uniform. She stood quite in shock and cold, blinking water out of her eyes.

She heard a familiar girlish laughter, and the same three girls came into view; Yuna, who had light brown hair that reached her chin, and for some strange reason, two different colored eyes; one was green, the other was blue; her cousin Rikku, a cocky looking blond with bottle green eyes and bright yellow hair ended in crazy braids; and Paine, the most intimidating looking girl out of the three with smoke colored hair and matching eyes with a tint of red.

"How sad. Looks like her only friend has abandoned her too," said Rikku, waving around an empty bucket while Yuna smirked. Paine let out a sarcastic laugh.

"You were just a nuisance from the beginning."

"How could you _ever _even _think _of coming to Shukumei High! You're just some commoner on the streets!"

"Just pack up your crap and _leave _already."

Anger and resentment rose within her as their mocking laughter rang in her ears. She clenched her knuckles until her nails dug into her palms, but the pain could never compare to that which she felt inside.

The trio laughed even louder as they watched Kairi snatch up her messenger bag, sprinting away towards her only refuge in the school.

Bursting through the emergency exit, she felt as though she would explode from all the pent-up emotions that welled up inside of her. Her breath came in gasps and a stitch jabbed at her side, but she ignored it.

"Dammit. _Dammit._"

She stumbled clumsily down the stairs, leaning against the railing for support, and sank onto the last step. She breathed hard, feeling her heart beat fast with adrenaline.

"God **DAMMIT**!"

"STOP—"

Kairi suddenly gave a start, her heart beating, if possible, even faster.

"—it. Would you?"

She stood up warily, looking around towards the second flight of stairs. Her cerulean eyes widened as Riku Takahashi's handsome face looked up at her through long, silver bangs.

"Making a ruckus here," he said, indicating the book he had been reading.

Kairi said nothing but blinked stupidly at the F4 member. His aquamarine eyes peered at her, but they were not unkind.

"Yeah...knew it was you," he said, standing up. He slowly climbed up the few steps, leaning against the railing of the balcony. Kairi only stared dumbly at the spot he had been sitting.

"Would you mind not taking out your stress here anymore?" he asked casually, as a soft breeze blew his feathery hair around.

The redhead looked up in shock, blinking her wet bangs out of her eyes.

"Were you...always listening?" she asked in constrained voice.

Riku looked at her with a slightly amused expression.

"Sorry," he said, after a long pause. "But...this staircase is my spot."

"H-Huh?"

"I like it here," the silver-headed teenager replied smoothly, looking out at the school grounds, then back at Kairi. "I don't want to be...disturbed."

He took up his book and began reading again, leaving Kairi to stare blankly at him. He glanced back with a ghost of a smirk on his lips, and Kairi hastily took it as the hint to leave.

"S-Sorry," she mumbled, looking away in embarrassment. She slowly began climbing the stairway.

"But—" she froze, wondering wildly for a moment what he would do to her.

"—it seems like you might need it more than me."

Her eyes widened, and she turned her neck slowly to watch him climb the stairs before her, disappearing through the doorway.

She blinked again, unsure whether that was real or not.

_What that...really Riku Takahashi?_

She followed him out of the emergency staircase, her heart suddenly feeling lighter than it had all week.

And a certain someone had noticed, too, his ocean-blue eyes narrowing as he watched the redhead head home with a bounce in her steps.

* * *

**Please review; no flames.**


	3. Peremptory

**Disclaimer:** All characters © to Square-Enix, Squaresoft, and Disney.

**Warning:** Dark sexual themes and **strong** language. Don't like, don't read.

**.2.**

**Peremptory **

"_You'd better watch out, Kairi. Who knows how they'll plan to dispose of you?"_

_Dispose of me..._

Selphie's words from last night's conversation on the phone were still buzzing inside Kairi's head, though it did nothing to comfort her nerves.

_How did I _ever _get myself into this kind of situation..._

She suddenly realized that she'd been standing in front of her locker for some time, doing nothing but staring apprehensively at the small metal door. Biting her lip, she hesitantly reached out, and tugged at the lock.

"AAAAHH!!"

Shrieking, she backed away as quickly as she could, her eyes widening in horror. All around, students began screaming and scrambling away from the lockers.

_Snakes! _She thought wildly, staring in a mixture of horror and revulsion at the tangle of long, wriggling animals. _They put _snakes _in my locker!_

Losing her balance, she tripped and tumbled to the ground, scattering her books everywhere. Her heart was still pounding wildly when she suddenly heard quick footsteps behind her, and looked up.

Three tall, intimidating looking teenage boys were looking down at her, and she immediately recognized the one in the middle as Seifer Almasy, with the diagonal slash across his forehead. As they smirked at her, fear gripped her insides—real, feminine fear.

"Wh-What do you want?" she said, trying and failing to hide her fear.

Before she even had time to react, Seifer covered her mouth with one hand and gripped her wrist with the other, roughly pulling her up to her feet. Another other pinned her arms behind her back and began marching her away—to where, she didn't know.

Panic rose inside of her as she realized what their intentions with her were. She tried screaming and struggling, but it was useless against their iron grip.

"You'd better shut up, you slut, or we'll make it ten times worse for you," hissed Seifer over her muffled yells. Her eyes widened in horror and they shoved her inside a dark, empty classroom, slamming the door behind them with a loud snap.

_Oh my god, I'm going to get raped! _Her mind screamed. _Oh god, oh god..._

She felt Seifer's hand pull away from her mouth, and her instincts told her to scream as loudly as she could.

"Shut up, you bitch!"

One of them took hold of her and pushed her towards the cold floor, pinning her down. A small scuffle ensued as she struggled and kicked wildly against anything that came in contact with her.

"Her legs, get her legs!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she shrieked, trying in vain to fight them off. But in one swift movement, Seifer pinned a stool on top of her, trapping her down.

Now she was in trouble.

Smirking, the blond teenager settled himself on top of the stool and watched the redhead struggle and whimper.

"What are _you _complaining about?" he asked her in mocking tones. "You asked for it, didn't you?"

"Get off me, you freak!" she spat at him. His scarred face darkened.

"Gimme the scissors," he snapped at one of the other boys. He reached down and tugged at her school blazer, snipping all the buttons off in a matter of seconds.

Whimpering in fear, she felt his hands rip open her blazer and linger on the buttons on her shirt underneath. Closing her eyes tightly, she waited for the worst to come.

"What are you doing?"

She opened her eyes.

_That voice—!_

It was calm and almost toneless, but she realized for sure that it didn't belong to any of her attackers. Slowly, her terrified eyes looked up and caught sight of someone with long, silver hair, reclining on one of the chairs with a graphic novel hiding his face. Her breath came in heaving, uneven gasps.

_Riku..._

The three attackers had frozen, their eyes glued on the aqua-eyed teenager as he calmly approached them. It was now completely silent, except for the continuing gasps that issued from Kairi's mouth.

Riku stood coolly above the restrained girl, giving her a rather apathetic look.

"Let her go", he said, keeping his eyes still on her.

The three attackers gave each other highly uncomfortable looks.

"Well...we had-had orders to—"

They were silenced by a single look from the silver-haired teen.

"Just do it," Riku told them. Even without shouting, he still seemed intimidating.

Still hesitant, they didn't move. Riku raised a silver eyebrow.

"I told you to let her go."

They looked at each other; then Seifer scrambled up and raced for the door. The other two followed quickly at his heels as Riku imperiously watched them leave.

Kairi was still trembling with fear as the other teenager above her lifted the stool off with ease. Her mind was in shock, hardly daring to register what had happened. Riku dropped the stool and sat down, looking almost bored. Kairi, on the other hand, quickly sat up and hugged her now damaged blazer around her protectively, not daring to look at the other in the eye. She now realized that her breaths had turned into sobs, and she bit her lip to hold them back.

Riku eyed her, his eyes now shining with more pity than indifference.

"The maintenance lady was cleaning," he said ambiguously. Slowly, Kairi managed to look up at him; he had a ghost of a smile on his face.

"The emergency stairway," he explained, when her look was still perplexed. "I'd thought that I'd finally found a quiet place...but..."

He left his sentence lingering, smiling mysteriously.

Kairi bit her lip again, then choked out, "Th-Thank...thank you..."

Riku gave a small chuckle.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he warned, but his tone was light. "I just hate it when people try and take advantage of each other...especially young, helpless girls."

He gave her another enigmatic smile, then stood up to go. Kairi watched him leave, feeling an ineffable gratitude. The shock of the whole event was starting to disappear, and another feeling was beginning to take its place.

--

"Riku did WHAT?!"

"Yeah...we were just about to give hell to that Akutsu girl, but then he came and stopped us before we could do anything."

Sora Kumasaki clenched the phone in anger as he paced around the elaborate living room, furious at the news he was being told.

"What the hell? You can't even drive off a bitch like her?!" he raged. Slamming the cell phone shut, he threw himself on a soft, European-styled sofa. He ran his hand through the spiky brown locks in frustration.

"Dammit...!"

He needed to vent, something to take his mind off of things. Flipping open his phone again, he dialed a number, pressing the buttons as though each had done him personal wrong.

He heard a girl laugh in the background before Hayner's voice rang through the line.

"_Yo, Sora! What's up_?"

"Nothing. Where the hell are you guys?"

"_The usual. It's Friday night, remember?_"

Sora rolled his eyes in at the ceiling. Of course, he should've known. He heard more laughter in the background.

"_Well, you comin' or what?_"

The brunet sighed, debating whether or not he should go. _Would he be there or not? _Finally, he gave in.

"Whatever...I'll come."

Hayner gave a whoop. "_Hey guys, Sora's comin'!_"

He heard a few shrieks from some girls, and then Irvine's voice . Closing the phone with a snap, he heaved himself to his feet.

_What the hell has gone into him?_

* * *

**Please review; no flames.**


	4. Unforgivable Curse

**Disclaimer:** All characters © to Square-Enix, Squaresoft, and Disney.

**Warning: _Strong_** language and OOC, dark themes, and mild sexual situations. Don't like, don't read.

**.3.**

**Unforgivable Curse**

It was too easy. It always was. For him, at least.

He needed a distraction and the little whore of a student wanted sex with him. They all did. It'd been a long night and he'd gone out clubbing and drinking and whatnot with the guys. And of course, there were useless sluts just throwing themselves at them, fully aware of their status and wealth. They didn't care that they were all only eighteen and only in senior year of their high school. And it wasn't uncommon for him to throw some random girl in bed to get his mind off of the god damn problems in his god damn life, anyway. It was too god damn easy.

Or so he thought.

"God!" panted the girl, laying on the sweat-soaked bed with the sheets barely covering her. "That was-" -gasp- "-amazing!"

Sora didn't even glance at the girl whose _name _he didn't give a shit about. "Time for you to get out," he said carelessly as he rose from the bed, striding towards the bathroom. "And don't leave anything behind. I don't want any of your shit lying around here."

"Okay," said the girl, too breathless to be fazed by his harsh manner. "But do I have to go now?"

"Yes." He slammed the bathroom door at her pouting face. Clenching the sides of the sink, he lifted his head and stared back at his reflection; muscular yet lean, sweaty and still distracted. The sex hadn't taken his mind off things at all. Normally he would've been satisfied with just the power and control he had over the girls he'd slept with. Hearing them begging, moaning, and screaming so loudly for him he thought his head would burst. Even though if all felt the same after a while. He couldn't even remember what half of them looked like. It still got him off, though; that was main purpose. Not today, though. His shoved a hand through his damp hair. What the hell.

What the fucking HELL.

He clenched the edges of the sink until his knuckles turned white.

Bright, piercing blue eyes. Fiery red hair. Full, pink lips.

That stupid little BITCH.

Why couldn't he get that stupid image of her out of his god damn head. Why couldn't she just leaving the fucking school. But then again, he could just get her kicked out of the school. Just a wave of his little finger at the school administrator would do. Those morons would probably even lick his shoes if he wanted them to. All because of his huge amount of wealth that his father left him. No one dared to defy him. _No one._

Except _her. _

And she was just a low-class, little commoner's bitch.

Sora punched the bathroom wall in frustration.

The rest of them had been so easy. Just a punch in the face and they'd be begging him for mercy. Move to another island.

But they'd all been _guys_. _She _was a god damn _girl. _

And she was still here. In. The. God. Damn. School.

Making him go out of his god damn mind. _Why can't she just fuck off like the rest of them? _

And then there was Riku. His best friend.

His _best friend._

He just HAD to step in and not mind his own fucking business. Yes, Riku the chivalrous one. Stepping in and defending the poor and the damned.

What the fuck were Seifer and those bastards trying do to her, anyway? He didn't know. And he couldn't give a shit.

She was low. Scum. _A commoner._ Defiling the rest of the school.

They were just treating her for who she was.

He heard a distant but firm pounding at his front door.

_SHIT. _His head was beginning to hurt just at the sound of it. _Who the FUCK would come visit his private school dorm building at _this_ hour?_

He'd told the guys – well, just Hayner and Irvine; Riku was who-knows-where-the-fuck right now – that'd he'd wanted no one distracting him. They knew he'd taken a random girl home tonight. They knew how he'd react.

_Stupid slut probably forgot something. Even after I _told _her not to leave anything._

The pounding grew more forceful.

Oh, he was gonna kill that bitch.

Throwing on a pair of random shorts over his naked torso, he stormed out of the bathroom and towards the knocking. Grasping the knob, he flung open the door and began shouting.

"Didn't I TELL you not to leave anyth—"

He froze. Shock. Staring blankly at the person in front of him.

But only for a few seconds.

--

Kairi was shocked to the core. She had already been nervous about seeing Riku in the middle of the night just to _thank _him for what had happened earlier. She had even come all the way from the girls' dorms to the private ones where the richest students lived in their own _buildings _just to see him. She hadn't been able to fall asleep, anyway. She needed someone to talk to; it had been just too much to take in for a day.

But it was nothing compared to _this. _What was standing in front of her at this very moment.

The very last person she wanted to see on the planet.

Her mouth was open but no words came out. Her voice had died at the sight of him.

"What are _you _doing here?" demanded Sora, who looked almost as shocked as she was.

Her brain was so numb she couldn't think. Here, standing in front of her, was _Sora Kumasaki._ The bastard of all bastards. _Here_, in the place of Riku, whom she had expected to see.

Evidently not. The guard had given her the wrong directions as to which building he lived in.

Or she had just been too nervous to think about where she was going.

"I-I was just—I thought Riku—where is—" Kairi spluttered, still shocked.

Sora's eyes seemed to darken at the sound of Riku's name. Or at her presence. Either way, she didn't want to stay here any more than she was welcome.

"He's doesn't live here," he said harshly. He opened the front door wider. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Kairi seemed to just grasp the notion that he was half-naked and standing a mere foot away from her. Her eyes widened as they traveled down his muscular chest, and her throat grew drier. But only for a moment.

The anger came rushing back in an instant.

**SLAP.**

She'd hit his face so hard he had barely enough time to grasp the door frame just to keep his balance. Looking up, his eyes narrowed as she rose her hand again for another slap.

"You fucking bast—!"

His hand shot out of nowhere and caught her hand in a vice-like grip. She struggled to wrench free, but he held on tight.

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed dangerously, his cheek still stinging smartly. The shock had gone away, replaced with enough anger to equally match the redhead's.

"What the hell do you _think _I'm doing?" she spat, still trying to wrench her wrist away. "I'm giving you what you fucking deserve! No, you don't even deserve that. You need to go die and burn in HELL!"

Burning with rage, she swung her other hand at his face, but he caught that too.

"Let GO of me!"

"What the fuck's WRONG with you, Akutsu?" Sora snarled, shaking both her arms slightly. "You come banging down my door in the middle of the god damn night and hitting me and telling me to go to hell? As if I don't know you're a low class bitch already. Why the—"

"DON'T play games with me, you bastard!" she practically screamed at his face. "I KNOW what you told those stupid _morons _of yours to do. You'd thought it'd be FUN, didn't you? See the low-class girl become the whore? Though it'd be fun to see me_ raped?" _

_Raped._

Sora froze at her words, a feeling of dread creeping up inside. His grip on her wrists was now so tight she was starting to loose the feeling in her hands.

"What did you say?" he said in a low voice. It was a harsh, almost frightened tone. His blue eyes were piercing into hers as though searching for the truth.

_No. They didn't. They can't have._

Kairi let out a harsh laugh, except it wasn't funny.

_No. Don't laugh._

"I'm sure it would've been much for amusing for you if you actually _saw _it happen, wouldn't it Kumasaki? Am I too _dirty _for you to touch? Am I too low for you? Is that why you sent your fucking _cronies _on me instead of doing it yourself?"

"Shut up," Sora said quietly. Dangerously. "Shut up, Akutsu."

Memories buried deep inside were coming back.

Screaming. Screaming. Begging for mercy.

His breathing grew harsher. The anger, the fear, swelling up and threatening to consume him.

"If it wasn't for RIKU they'd probably still be fucking me right now! Would that satisfy you? So I'd be back in my place as a low-class _whore_, right?" she fumed. She couldn't stop. She'd probably never be able to stop. Her rage, resentment, driving her on. "How long has it been? How long has it been since you've started fucking up everyone's live because they breathed your air? Self-proclaiming yourself as ruler of this damn school just because you have money! You're pathetic, Kumasaki. You make me SICK. You're the one who's LOW. And I bet no one's ever dared say that to you, not even your own _mother—_"

SLAM.

She was pushed against the door, winded. He'd yanked her inside before she'd figured out what had happened, pinning her shoulders hard against the door, his face now inches away from hers. She struggled, but his strength was too much. Stunned, angry, and unable to control herself anymore, Kairi caught her breath quickly.

"Go on, then," she whispered menacingly. She stared into the blue eyes that were darker than she had ever seen them before. Something stirring inside them. But she didn't care. "Do it." His jaw clenched and he pushed her harder against the door. "Finish the job, then." She could almost feel his rage boiling inside him. Enraged. Provoked. "What are you waiting for? It's what you wanted." His eyes seemed capable of murder. His chest heaving heavily. She was terrified, but she tried to hide it. "Go on, Kumasaki. Hurt me. Hit me._" Shut up. _"You're lower than you think we are." _Shut UP. _Harsh, biting words, cutting through his skin. He was close, too close. The proximity was suffocating her. "Do it." she hissed. Memories, dark memories, burning, clawing at his insides. "_Finish it, Kumasaki." _And he did the only thing he could before he lost his mind.

The only thing.

He kissed her.

And then the world came crashing down.

His lips crushed hers and muffled her surprised cry and protests, as she struggled away from him. She pulled her head away angrily, hardly daring to believe what had just happened.

"You—you—" Kairi gasped out, but as she looked into his hardened eyes, she felt fear, fear like never before.

"No!" She struggled harder as he grabbed her chin and forced her face towards his. He brought his lips down once more and kissed her, kissed her harshly and angrily. Angry that she'd ever stepped foot into the god forsaken school. Angry that she'd spoken up to him in the first place. Angry that she _dared _to even come to his doorstep and tell him where his place stood. The thought of it angered him even more and he bit her lip so that she gasped, and forced his tongue inside, pushing into her mouth to punish her, tasting the bittersweet taste of her tongue that had spat those cruel words at him only seconds ago. A small sound she made was lost in his mouth as he continued to devour her with raw hunger, showing her who was in control, who had the power, wanting her _to _beg for mercy—he brought his hands up to her face to hold her against her struggling, and then he suddenly stopped, because he'd noticed.

He'd noticed her tears.

Then her eyes. Wide and terrified, filled with anger, hate, fear, and everything in between.

The memories were flooding back again.

Crying. Crying, _screaming—_

His father. His _mother. _

Begging, crying, screaming for help, anybody—

No. He couldn't let her cry. He'd seen enough tears in his lifetime.

No. Don't cry, he wanted to say. Stop crying.

Stop fucking touching her, her skin, her warm skin—

Let her _go—_

He couldn't.

Slowly and firmly, yet still staring into her fierce blue eyes, he brought his lips down to meet hers. She tried thrashing away again but her caught her—gently, this time. Warm. Soothing. Comforting. When did he learn how to kiss anybody gently? It was always hungry, or passionate, or desperate. He traced her mouth gently and she stilled, confused. He didn't stop, gently touching her lips with his, coaxing her. _What is this? _She thought. _A silent apology_? But slowly, slowly, she started to kiss him back. It was tentative, but there, returning. Gentle brushes, slight pressure; she was kissing him back.

Her eyes widened suddenly.

NO.

She pushed him away with her freed hands and he let her, backing away. She looked up at him with her eyes, confused, angry, and questioning. _Why...?_

Sora's mind was dazed. His head felt cloudy. It was too much to take all at once. Just too much.

"I—" she began. But her voice caught in her throat again.

What? Hate me? Despise me? Want to hit me again? Because I'll let you. I'll let you kill me if you want to. I punished you. Now it's your turn. Punish me. Hate me. Do _something—_

"I won't forgive you," she whispered.

And then she was gone, leaving the front door swinging open as she disappeared into the night.

--

Kairi didn't remember reaching her dorm room, or running up the stairs. The tears had been blinding her so much. She didn't remember unlocking her door and entering before she crumpled down on her bed, sobbing into her hands.

She felt disgusted. Angry. And confused.

That son of a bitch was playing with her emotions. Just to give her hell. As if he hadn't already.

She hated him. Hated him for almost taking away the one dignity she still possessed. Hated him for forcing himself on her.

And the worst part?

She hated him for stopping himself. Because she'd kissed him back, then.

She'd kissed him back.

The tears wouldn't stop coming.

--

Sora dragged himself to his room after who knows how long, then backed away slowly until he hit the wall, sliding down.

He remembered now. Those memories.

As clear as pictures.

"_I won't forgive you, Sora," his mother whispered. "You killed him."_

_I _killed_ him._

That girl reminded him of everything he wanted to forget. Everything he hated. Everything he cursed.

Everything he wanted.

Everything he once loved.

It was an unforgivable curse

* * *

**Please review, no flames.**

* * *


	5. Stigmatized

**Disclaimer:** All characters © to Square-Enix, Squaresoft, and Disney.

**Warning:_ Strong_** language and OOC, and dark themes. Don't like, don't read.

**.4.  
**

**Stigmatized**

She didn't know how long she had been in there already. Locking herself in the bathroom, turning the shower head on full blast and stepping in – without bothering to even take off her clothes.

Just standing there. Wet. Wet and ashamed. The sound of the water hitting the sides of the stall thundering in her ears.

Hoping – just hoping, praying, for a small chance that it might take away something. The angry feeling pulling at her insides.

The cliché prospect of washing away one's sins, perhaps.

Or maybe she was just unconsciously trying to drown herself.

The water was slowly beginning to lose its heat. Kairi shivered, reaching out to turn off the shower. Then there was silence, except for the drip-drip sound of water from her soaked clothes.

Slowly, she peeled off her wet uniform, throwing them unceremoniously onto the floor. Wrapping herself with a dry towel, she stepped out and breathed in the damp air.

Everything came rushing back again.

No._ No. _She couldn't think about that right now. It was too—frustrating? Confusing? So fucking _beyond_ comprehensible?

She stared blankly into the mirror still covered in condensation, at her blurry reflection.

God. Her head was going to explode.

But she knew. Deep down inside, she knew.

She'd have to confront the reality of it all again.

The hordes of assholes she'd have to deal with at school.

Then F4.

And then him.

In less than 48 hours, no doubt.

But for now—just for now, she'd escape.

She wanted to escape—before being forced back again.

But who could she turn to?

Selphie. That was an option. But Selphie wasn't here. It wasn't middle school. No—it was fucked up high school. Fucking _Shukumei High School_.

Her grandmother...

Her throat clenched at the thought.

Somehow she doubted very much that her grandmother could even remember her own name at the moment.

No.

She couldn't escape. Not even when she tried pushing the nightmarish thoughts of her god forsaken school away.

It wasn't even some banal, fucked up life of a troubled, teenage girl anymore.

The condensation on the mirror had faded. But she'd already left the bathroom before she could glance at the cold reflection.

Afraid to face it all.

Including her own self.

Because just a few hours ago, she'd betrayed herself.

--

The weekend passed by without further ado.

And now, Monday was the beginning of another fucked up school week.

"Look up, you little bitch."

Kairi bit her lip from doing anything to retaliate back. Giggles from the other two of the infamous trio were ringing faintly in her ears. Her shoulder was aching painfully from the hard contact with the wall after Paine shoved her harshly against it.

"What part of 'get out of this school, you god damn whore' do you not get, Akutsu?"

Kairi said nothing, her auburn bangs shielding her eyes from view. Somewhere above her, Paine was laughing sardonically.

"Looks like the little bitch is finally fucking starting to realize her place. Not standing up anymore, are you? Not fighting back?"

Kairi's nails were digging so deep into her palms she was sure they would draw blood soon.

She felt another shove from the right, making her stumble. Rikku was laughing as well.

"Come on, Akutsu! Aren't you gonna do us all in? Hire the next hobo off the street to do the job for you in exchange for your body?"

Another shove. Kairi almost lost her balance this time.

"How sad. Giving up already."

"It's makes me sick, just looking at her!"

"What a pathetic little slut."

More harsh laughter.

"I bet her _mother_ couldn't even stand to look at her! That's why she just a sad little orphan now—"

NO.

Her eyes widened—in sudden fury.

"_Shut up._"

The laughing stopped suddenly. Kairi was on her feet, breathing hard and her blood boiling. She looked furiously at the three girls in front of her, now with ugly expressions on their faces. The last remark almost made her snap completely. _Fucking skanks. _

"I've had enough of your shit," spat Kairi. "Now, why don't you do everyone a favor and fuck OFF."

Rikku's face was twisted in fury. As Kairi made to storm off, the blond shoved her so hard it sent her crashing again into another hard wall.

Except, it wasn't a wall.

It was—

"R-Riku!" gasped the offending blond, whose green eyes were widened in apprehension.

Oh, God.

Kairi froze. She could feel the atmosphere around her growing thick already.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—I mean that girl, Akutsu, she was—"

"That," Riku said quietly, his pale green eyes glittering mysteriously. "Wasn't very nice." There was a trace of danger behind his tone.

Rikku's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish's, but no words could come out. Kairi could hardly dare to look up at the silver-haired teenager in the face. She quickly backed off, avoiding eye contact with anyone and breathing harshly.

_He helped me again, _her mind thought frantically. _It's only been four days and he's here, backing me up again—_

"You should apologize to Akutsu," finished Riku.

_What?_

Her ears buzzed. She did not just hear that.

A member of the F4 was actually making someone _apologize _to her? Her, a low, filthy commoner scorned by everyone in the damn school?

Was he _pitying _her?

"But—"

"I—We—We—"

"No."

But the words hadn't come from any one of the trio. Kairi was defiant, eyes now blazing. She looked directly at Riku, whose expression was slightly taken aback.

"Thanks," she said in a hard voice, "But I don't want your pity. Especially if I'm forced to accept some pathetic excuse of an apology from _those _three. I'm better off being beat up."

Snatching up her messenger bag, she stormed off, but not before glancing at the three girls. Rikku and Paine were glaring daggers, but Yuna – who hadn't said anything up to this point – was holding a strange expression. But Kairi was too angry to care.

"If you've got bullshit to throw at me, go ahead. I'll take it and spit it right back at you."

_I've had enough._

Turning on her heel, Kairi spun around and walked as quickly and with as much dignity as she could away, her footsteps echoing across the deathly silent hallway. She felt everyone's eyes burning into her, but it only gave her more vindictive pleasure.

As she turned at the corner, she suddenly noticed Naminé hiding herself in the shadows. Kairi looked away awkwardly as she walked on, but heard her name called.

"Kairi!"

The pale blond was behind her, eyes wide.

"I—I just thought—" she stammered diffidently.

_That I'm gonna be murdered within the next few days? Yeah, more than likely, _Kairi thought numbly.

"—That was brave of you, Kairi," Naminé finished, blushing slightly. "You—you did the right thing, standing up to them."

Kairi stared, at lost for words. Then, for the first time, for as long as she could remember, she smiled. But only a little.

"I'm glad you think so, Naminé."

_If only you had the courage to do the same for yourself at that time. Then..._

Kairi walked on, unconsciously heading for the emergency stairway she'd used for so long.

_...I wouldn't be in this fucked up mess right now._

But she wasn't blaming her. No one wanted to be in her position.

No one.

_--_

The fresh autumn breeze blew gently in her face as Kairi walked steadily towards the girls' dorm, sometime later. She didn't want to go back to the emergency stairway to vent out her feelings; she was too embarrassed to face Riku at the moment.

But why should she be? She was only defending herself.

But he'd helped her from that particularly tight situation only days ago.

It was partly HIS fault she had been in this chaos in the first place!

He still helped her...and he did it again today, for that matter.

She hadn't even thanked him properly...

Her breath suddenly caught in her throat as the memory of a spiky-haired boy with blazing eyes reappeared in her mind.

The very result of what had happened when she tried to thank him.

"It's not very bright of you to be walking alone nowadays."

Kairi nearly jumped a foot in the air from shock. Whipping around, she came face to face with—

"Seifer," she hissed, narrowing her eyes. "What the hell do you want?"

Smirking, he stepped closer to her, and she stepped back instinctively. His significantly taller figure was not in the least bit welcoming. Neither was the strange fire burning in his eyes. A shock of apprehension shot through her body.

"You know what I want," Seifer said dangerously, his eyes leering at her. "We still haven't finished our little matter from the other day."

He stepped closer again. Kairi backed off as far as possible, but found herself against a wall. Wherever the hell that came from. Trapped.

_Shit._

He seemed to notice her increasing fear, though she tried hard to hide it. Tilting her head slightly, she looked back defiantly.

"Don't try anything funny again, Almassy," she said sharply. But he came even closer than ever. Her heart thundered against her chest. "I'll—"

"You'll_ what_?" he replied scathingly. His hands suddenly shot out towards the wall, on either side of her head. "Scream for help? Beg for mercy?"

He leaned in closer.

"Fuck _off, _you—"

"No Takahashi to help you this time, Akutsu," he breathed, his breath making her cringe. "No one to save you this time, you little whore—"

"I said, fuck OFF—"

His lips crashed brutally down onto hers, and his hands held her forcefully against the wall as she trashed and struggled to get away. The taste was disgusting, making her almost vomit right then and there. She kicked out in desperation but he reacted fast, as though knowing what she'd do. Shoving her hard against the wall, his rough hands were suddenly on her school blouse, tearing the buttons apart. His hands, touching her cruelly, not giving a damn. She screamed was muffled by another brutal kiss, tears beginning to leak out fast from her eyes. Her head pounded, screaming for help, someone, anyone—

In a second the harsh contact was gone, followed by a loud grunt and the sound of a body crashing down on concrete. At once she knew that she'd been saved again, relief spreading through her like a wave of warmth. She knew Riku would come, Riku with his gentle green eyes and mysterious smile, she'd owed her life to him twice now—

Her heart stopped beating. Her eyes widened.

Because for the second time, she was looking into those eyes, eyes that she'd_ never _expected to see at her current situation, eyes that she'd expected to be aquamarine and smiling—

But they were blue.

Hard and blue.

_His _eyes.

--

Fucking hell.

He knew he shouldn't have done that.

He shouldn't have. It was her fault she deserved it.

She fucking DESERVED it.

But, he was there before he knew it. A black rage tearing through his chest the moment he'd seen Almassy pinning her against the wall, touching her, _kissing _her—

FUCK. Why was he even thinking about that. Why did he even _give _a damn, he should've let the damn bastard do whatever the hell he wanted with the little whore.

But he didn't. He couldn't.

Why. WHY?

Seifer was glaring back at him in shock.

FUCK. His heart beat frantically against his rib cage.

He was breathing hard, fist still clenched and standing over the Almassy bastard, who was looking back at him in both anger and shock. Seifer raised a hand to his face, which was now developing a red bruise already.

"Sora, what—?"

"Get," said Sora, slowly and quietly. "The fuck out. Now."

"But—you told us to finish her—"

"I said, get the fuck out."

Sora stared hard at the man on the ground, looking at anywhere but her. Seifer stared back, confusion written over his scarred face.

"I'll deal with this shit from here," said Sora. Of course he would. He should. After all, it was _his _fucking problem. Not fucking Almassy's. He needed to deal with his own shit now.

Seifer nodded quickly, scrambling up and sprinting away from the scene. Sora watched him sprint away without sparing another glance backwards. Stared at _anything _just to keep his eyes away from _her. _Yeah, that's right. Just go run away like the fucking dog you are now—

_Shit._ He could hear her still gasping in fright, slumped against the wall. He could imagine her looking, for the first time, so frail and helpless he just wanted to take advantage of that moment and ruin her, destroy her, _break_ her—

He turned around slowly.

--

Oh, god.

Kairi knew at that moment she wasn't safe. Standing before her, like a wild animal in rage—she probably would prefer Seifer to Kumasaki at that moment. She was trapped—and he was there, only a few feet away—damn, how could she ever forgive herself for letting him see her so weak—?

Her legs, which had felt like jelly almost moments ago, suddenly found their strength as she forced herself onto her feet, mind buzzing frantically. Only one thought came through:

_Get away from him._

"Where do you think you're going?"

She froze on the spot, mind numb with shock—and fear. No, she needed to run away, get away from him, _get away—_

"Don't think I did it to save you, Akutsu."

A few quick steps and he was only a foot away. She tried not to shrink away, tried not to show her fear, but the feelings, the situation, they were overwhelming her, enough to make her scream her lungs out.

"It meant nothing, Akutsu."

His eyes were so dark they almost lost their original shade of blue. Kairi fought cruelly to regain her composure, anything to stand up to the monster before her.

But she couldn't.

She'd lost everything, at that moment.

Even herself.

Was it because he saved her?

She suddenly felt the instinct of running away, the primal fear. In a second his arm shot out and grasped her upper arm in a tight vice-like hold, making her flinch.

No—that wasn't it. Then why would he be here, she knew that—

"I'm going to finish you myself," he hissed.

Her heart missed a beat at his words.

"NO, stop! You don't want this—"

"Shut up."

Don't tell me what I want or don't want.

She struggled, he held on tight, now gripping both of her wrists as he pushed her against the wall—again.

"_Stop_—"

Her voice was begging him. Why was she begging him? Stop begging him in that voice, dammit. Stop sounding so much like—

"_Mom?"_

_More screaming. More shouting. He felt frightened, like almost every night at his house. _

_His father..._

"_Don't _beg_ me, you little whore."_

FUCK.

Sora clenched her wrists harder, making her gasp.

"You know you want this," he growled. He pushed himself against her. She closed her eyes and shook her head wildly, then bit her lip—those lips—

"No,_ don't, _Kumasaki—"

"_Don't _tell me you didn't enjoy it that last time, Akutsu," he said, leaning in even closer. She froze against his grasp. He suddenly felt sick, but he pretended to grin in her ear.

"Don't you remember?"

Kairi's eyes widened. _God, no._

"You kissed me _back_."

NO.

She tried in vain to hit him with her fists, but he held on fast.

"Shut up! That was _you, _Kumasaki, stop pretending it's everyone's fault but yours—"

He laughed sardonically.

"Denial, isn't it, Akutsu? You loved it. And that you want it again. Tell me it turned you _on—_"

"_Shut up, _Kumasaki!" Kairi almost screamed, breathless.

No, it wasn't true. She didn't want it to be true.

Oh gods, it _can't _be true.

"Why are you doing this?" she said. Her voice was small, but she couldn't help it. She was vulnerable, and he was here, ready to destroy her.

"Because I hate you," Sora breathed in her ear. She shivered from the heat, the biting words.

"Because I'm not a spoiled, rich little bastard like you, isn't it?"

His grin faded. Kairi felt some of her composure seep back into her.

"Just because you have some extra cash in your damn pocket doesn't mean anything to me."

"Don't bullshit me. Money controls everything in this fucking place. Just like right now. I'm the one in control."

No, you're wrong.

"Let go of me," she said, squirming under his suffocating presence. He remained firm. "I said, _let go, _Kumasaki!" Her voice rose again in panic.

God, he could _taste_ the panic—

"_I'm _in control now—"

Someone help her, please, someone, anyone—

Silver hair flashed through her mind. Riku Takahashi.

How ironic. How _bloody _ironic. Only a few hours ago, she'd said she didn't want his _pity. _

And now she was silently, desperately begging for his rescue.

She felt a hand release one of her wrists and sensed it approaching her face. She flinched back violently, expecting the worst.

His knuckles grazed the her cheek—gently, softly. Like a caress.

Her breathe froze, both in shock in anticipation. "Kumasaki, what—?"

"Kiss me again."

The words were like ash in his mouth. Suffocating him with the bitterness. But he couldn't help it—it was killing him.

Killing him because he _needed _it so fucking badly. Her moist, warm lips, open in shock, and ready, ready for him.

"No..." she breathed, but she didn't move away. Not even with one arm left unguarded. Why couldn't she move?

"Kiss me."

Why? Why was he making her feel this way? She hated him. She hated him so much she could burst. She. HATED. Him.

"G-Get off," she managed to say, pushing him away with all the weakened energy she could muster.

She'd expected the powerful hands to stop her from getting away, to seize her and push her against the wall again. She'd expected _something_, but it wasn't this.

She watched him fall against the wall, his eyes dead and helpless as he slid down like a wounded man. A dying, defeated, wounded man. And as she watched him she felt something wrench out a part of her heart, some distant emotion that was stabbing her chest over and over. She had never seen anything so vulnerable and defeated until that moment.

She stared at him. Sora Kumasaki. Dictator of the school and every little being around him.

It was so wrong. It couldn't be like this.

She couldn't even look at him anymore. She couldn't stay here, suffocating from this atmosphere. This fucked up, chaotic atmosphere.

Turning on her heel, she ran—ran until her legs couldn't move anymore and her chest felt as though it was about to burst.

She wished the pain wouldn't leave her body. Because the shame was infinitely worse—the shame of what could have happened. If he hadn't let her go.

She knew—she knew she would have given in. Given herself to him.

She would have let him kiss her.

She would have let him ravish her, for all the world to see.

She would have given into this war between them, and let him win. Beyond doubt.

* * *

**Memo:** I already have a million ideas planned out for this story but they just need to be put in written word and nice sentences. Please bear with my horrible procrastinating and lack of motivation. -.-

**Please review, no flames.**


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